Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great is a Persian conqueror who was born into royalty. Upon the death of his father, Cyrus was next to rule the Achaemenid Dynasty- while ruling, Cyrus was able to make his dynasty into a strong empire by expansion. Cyrus was given a well reputation not only by the Persians but also by the Greeks, and many others; he was a very skilled military man but he was also praised for his leniency and compassion that he showed to his rivals. Cyrus even tried to learn from his conquered people; uniting them with the Persians in a dual monarchy. He wasn’t just a man who founded a great empire, but he was also someone who became the living embodiment of what qualities a great ruler should have. He relates back to the reading Persepolis, because Marjane and her family are going through a time period where Iran is being ruled by corrupted folk who are trying to manipulate their people and limit their freedom by use of censorship on what teachers teach to the children, propaganda, and strict enforcement of the veil for all women and girls, etc. Marjane and her family are all fighting for their freedom and rights back in hopes for an ideal ruler for Iran, a ruler like Cyrus the Great, who is a strong but yet compassionate figure to his people.